Judith Tabler, Author
Not So Fast, Tom Thumb
On May 24, 1830, the first train service in the United States commenced in Batimore, Maryland. Lucius Stockton's horses pulled these train carriages, but Peter Cooper believed he could invent a steam locomotive that could go faster than a horse. On August 22, Cooper put the first American-made locomotive, Tom Thumb, on the tracks. Stockton and Cooper agreed to a horse versus steam engine race. This book tells the story of that race.
A delightful retelling of the B&O Railroad's Tom Thumb, the first steam locomotive ever built on American soil, and its infamous race to prove itself. Tabler takes the few historical resources that document this amazing race and brings the tale to life with her talent and imagination. --Anna Kresmer, Archivist, B&O Railroad Museum